In 2014 a Men’s group was formed with the intention of creating a gathering where men of varying ages could come together in a social situation and get to know each other and perhaps be of help to those who may be in need. It was started on the initiative of Tom Borger and our thanks go to him for the part he has played in setting up and continuing the organisation of this group.

We have had 4 meetings this year and the format appears to have been quite successful with 3 of these being held in the school hall starting with a hearty breakfast of bacon eggs sausages tomatoes and toast followed by tea or coffee all for $5 a head. This has been followed by a guest speaker and we have been fortunate to have had some very interesting talks.

Father Gabriel started at the 1st meeting with a history of his life, how he entered the seminary and how he ended up in Australia, followed by Kevin Van Katwyk who has been involved in setting up Men’s sheds and helping many homeless people. Kevin gave us an outline of what he has done with regards to men’s sheds and some of their activities. He was also instrumental in advising and helping Tom get this group started.

At the 2nd meeting we were educated on the importance of making a legal Will and not dying intestate or leaving a will that can be contested, by Patrick Wedge who works in the area of Family services and Family Law. At the 4th meeting Ray Campbell the Director of the Qld Bioethics centre talked about the importance of advanced health directives and the difference between these and Power of attorney for health. Both of these were very well received and the speakers were kept busy answering questions from the group after their presentation.

The 3rd meeting took the form of a barefoot Bowls day at Geebung Bowls Club, also with breakfast included and this provided a change in format and was quite a fun day with many having their 1st roll up on a bowling green and a few wayward bowls seen drifting across the green.

Our thanks go to some remarkable chefs including Peter, Kevin and Allan who all had there turn at slaving over a barbecue and doing the odd bit of washing up etc.

Special thanks also to Trish who really helped a few useless men in the preparation and cleanup of the 1st couple of breakfasts.

These mornings have all been pleasant occasions attracting attendances of 20 to 40 men who in many cases have not previously known each other (there are 4 masses and we all are creatures of habit and never meet those who attend at times different to ourselves) and have created an opportunity for good social interaction in the parish.

The aim is to have more of these meetings in the future and we would welcome all men of the parish who would like to attend an enjoyable social and educational outing and get to know some of their fellow parishioners.